Seeing Red
Authors: Susan Crandall
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2009 by Susan Crandall
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Cover design and art by Rob Wood
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First eBook Edition: February 2009
ISBN: 978-0-446-55741-2
Contents
Praise For Susan Crandall’s Novels
Pitch Black
“Prepare to be thoroughly captivated by Crandall’s
Pitch Black
world! . . . A superbly woven suspense that sucks you in and doesn’t let go . . . Susan Crandall is a master storyteller whose characters never fail to touch your heart.”
—Karen Rose,
New York Times
Bestselling Author
“Keep the lights on bright for
Pitch Black
. . . takes the reader on a thrill ride into the soul of a small town, a very special woman, and the sheriff who wants her even more than he wants to solve a terrible murder.”
—Karen Harper,
New York Times
Bestselling Author
“Crandall brings a strong new voice to the genre.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
A Kiss In Winter
“Everything a contemporary romance reader wants in a book.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“A very character-driven story,
A Kiss in Winter
is a tale of family expectations and disappointments.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“Complex characters, intricate relationships, realistic conflicts, and a fine sense of place.”
—
Booklist
“Great characters, a touching relationship, and exciting suspense.”
—
Affaire de Coeur
“Brilliant characterization, edgy suspense . . . a tension-rich mystery.”
—ContemporaryRomanceWriters.com
On Blue Falls Pond
“A powerful psychological drama . . .
On Blue Falls Pond
is a strong glimpse at how individuals react to crisis differently, with some hiding or running away while others find solace to help them cope.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“Readers who enjoy . . . fiction with a pronounced sense of place and families with strong ties will respond well to Crandall’s . . . sensitive handling of the important issues of domestic violence, macular degeneration, and autism.”
—
Booklist
“Susan Crandall writes nothing but compelling tales, and this is the best yet. I’m moving her to the top of my favorite author list.”
—RomanceReviewsMag.com
“Full of complex characters . . . it’s a well-written story of the struggles to accept what life hands out and to continue living.”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
Promises To Keep
“An appealing heroine . . . [an] unexpected plot twist . . . engaging and entertaining.”
—TheRomanceReader.com
“FOUR STARS!”
—
Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“Another fantastic story by Susan Crandall.”
—RomanceReviewsMag.com
“This is one book you will want to read repeatedly.”
—MyShelf.com
“One of today’s most enjoyable authors.”
—RoundTableReviews.com
Magnolia Sky
“Emotionally charged . . . An engrossing story.”
—
BookPage
“A wonderful story that kept surprising me as I read. Real conflicts and deep emotions make the powerful story come to life.”
—
Rendezvous
“Engaging . . . starring two scarred souls and a wonderful supporting cast . . . Fans will enjoy.”
—
Midwest Book Review
The Road Home
“A terrific story . . . a book you will want to keep to read again and again.”
—RomRevToday.com
“The characters . . . stay with you long after the last page is read.”
—Bookloons.com
Back Roads
“Accomplished and very satisfying . . . Add Crandall to your list of authors to watch.”
—Bookloons.com
“An amazingly assured debut novel . . . expertly drawn.”
—TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“A definite all-nighter. Very highly recommended.”
—RomRevToday.com
A
LSO BY
S
USAN
C
RANDALL
Pitch Black
A Kiss in Winter
On Blue Falls Pond
Promises to Keep
Magnolia Sky
The Road Home
Back Roads
In memory of Jane Henry Younce, friend, classmate,
and fellow writer. You taught us all how to laugh
in the face of adversity. Thank you.
It’s funny the things an author will ask you to do. Luckily the folks around me are used to my peculiar questions like, “Can I come and smell your stables today?” A huge thank you to Lorrie Mahaney for indulging my senses and answering all of my horsey questions.
I want to send out a special thank you to my editor, Karen Kosztolnyik, and my agent, Annelise Robey, for all of the special guidance they provided in molding my loose idea into a story that exceeded my own expectations. You held my hand and led me when the woods were too dense for me to find my way.
As all books are truly a team effort, thanks to the rest of the wonderful people at Grand Central Publishing for putting their time and expertise into this book.
And, as always, appreciation to my fabulous critique group, IndyWITTS (Garthia, Sherry, Vicky, Brenda, Pam, and Alicia), for their eagle eyes, their sharp insights, and their continual support.
February
Charleston, SC, County Courthouse
Fifteen years ago
T
he long wooden bench on which Ellis Greene sat next to her father reminded her of a church pew. But there was nothing holy about what was happening in this courtroom today. For the past few minutes, she’d kept her gaze fixed on her hands in her lap. Her fingernails were chewed to the quick, the cuticles ragged and red. They hadn’t been that way nine months ago.
She sighed and tried not to cry. Today was her fourteenth birthday.
Nobody remembered.
For her entire life, her dad had made such a huge deal out of “family first.” No matter what he was talking about, he always managed to stick in, “Ellis, remember, friends come and go, but your family is forever,” or something equally dorky. She never wanted to hurt his feelings—because growing up, he hadn’t really had a family—so she always nodded before she turned away and rolled her eyes.
But now she got it. And her dad had stopped talking about much of anything. He just looked at her with sad eyes and a frown on his face. He didn’t let her go anywhere or do anything. A person would think she was six, not fourteen. Her mother said to give him time and he’d adjust. But how could somebody adjust to something as horrible as what had happened to Cousin Laura?
Although she’d never let anyone know, Ellis had always hated how boring her life was . . . how boring her family was. The thought that things would drag on forever just the same had sometimes made her depressed. Like she was caught in one of those vapor locks she’d studied in science, stuck with things being just like they were until the day she died of old age—or boredom. She used to spend hours willing something to happen.
And then it did.
Every time she went to see Laura in the rehab center, she told her how sorry she was and that she wished she could take back that wanting, the thousands of secret wishes for something big to happen. Not that
sorry
could help Laura. It was just like her daddy said: “Sorry never fixed anything.”
A week ago in this courtroom, Ellis had sworn to tell the truth. It was all she could do for her cousin now. If she could do anything else to help, she would. But the doctors said there’s nothing anyone can do. For a long time, Ellis hadn’t believed it. For a long time, she’d hoped.
Now all she could do was tell what she’d seen the night her cousin had been kidnapped from her bedroom and left for dead on the beach . . . .
Just then, the jury filed back in. They’d been deliberating for three days. As they took their seats, Ellis’s heart beat hard and fast, and her stomach felt like it was crawling up her throat. She couldn’t tell by looking at them what verdict they’d come to.